Broken
by Black-heart-of-Rose
Summary: Prologue to Hollow, Broken explains exactly how Gilbert was destroyed by Ivan and how he grew to resent Ludwig. Rating for future chapters' content.


Author's Note:

Whoa, sorry guys. My writer's block has been REALLY bad. I love all the feedback I'm still getting and I just love you guys in general. You make me feel bad for not writing. So, the only thing is, I haven't updated _Hollow_ yet. I have half the next chapter written, so hopefully I can get that up soon. This particular story will be the prologue to _Hollow. _So, basically, I'm going to tell you how Prussia broke, which will be much fun for me. I already know where I'm going with this, so it shouldn't take long to get up.

Thank you for being awesome and enjoy!

-Rose

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><p>Four grey walls, a single rickety bed, and me. Actually, let's not forget the chains, shall we? My room was essentially a slightly more comfortable prison cell, despite the protestations of my captor. He claimed I was his esteemed 'guest of war'. It translated, at least so far, to my current predicament. I was bound by the ankle to the small, plain bed by a chain just long enough to reach the showers and, if I pulled the bed a little, the door into the hall. I was given next-to-nothing. I had a towel to dry off which Toris occasionally came to wash, my ragged and slightly-less-filthy-than-usual military uniform, and Gilbird. I was alone and had been with the exception of Toris sneaking in to do my chores and bring food up, but he didn't talk to me no matter how hard I tried to get him to. It was almost like <em>he<em> had ordered him not to have anything to do with me.

Speaking of the ice-cold devil, I hadn't seen him since he'd taken me from Ludwig. I had inquired as to where he was, but Toris just shook his head, looking afraid. I didn't think much of it. Those Baltic States were constantly afraid with that monster as a leader. I just sat and waited for my captor to show himself or Ludwig to save me.

I remember vividly the day, nearly two weeks ago now, that Ivan took me from my brother's side.

_"Goodbye, _bruder_. You're sure you're alright being alone? I could stay here if you wanted me to." I could tell from the halfhearted way he watched for my answer, that he really didn't want to stay. Honestly, I didn't want him to stay in the first place. However, I didn't want to be alone, either. I wanted a very specific person to stay with me, to keep me company, and he was standing near the door, supposedly preparing to leave for three hours now. Roderich, my crush for over one hundred years. He was so stuck-up sometimes, such a prude, but he was so hot and so nice. He was the only one, other than Ludwig and Veneziano, who I really thought wanted to hang around me. I smiled softly at him and he grinned back and began to saunter discreetly over to me. Ludwig demanded, "Gilbert?"_

_ "Oh, go ahead, Ludwig. I'll be fine. Promise." I said quickly, practically shooing him away, "Seriously, go home."_

_ He needed no further prompting. With a wary glance at Roderich, he was out the door to my extreme satisfaction. As soon as he was gone, I turned to Roddy and chuckled, "Any reason leaving takes so long?"_

_ He raised his eyebrows in feigned innocence, "What? Did you really want me to leave?"_

_ "Maybe. How do you know I don't have some smoking-hot guy coming over?" I sniffed, turning away and glancing over my shoulder flirtatiously._

_ The Austrian rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, Gilbert. We both know you don't know any 'smoking-hot guys' and even if you did, none of them would willingly visit you."_

_ I laughed, "Ouch! Damn, Roddy. Harsh much? And as a matter of fact, I do know one guy who falls in that special category."_

_ "Not possible." He growled, stepping closer to me._

_ "Oh? In fact, he's over right now." I teased, running my hands over his thin chest, a broad smile on my face. On the inside, I was terrified that he'd reject me, that all this teasing wasn't real._

_ Roderich's gorgeous face flushed, "G-Gil…"_

_ "Shut up and kiss me already, babe." I purred, leaning closer into his chest. I had to keep it up if I was to know exactly how interested he was in me. He looked a bit startled, but not put off, and it fueled me a bit that he didn't look like he was about to bolt._

_ His lips almost met mine, we were so close to that confession, before Roddy whispered, "Gilbert, I can't. I'm so sorry."_

_ I held him tight against me, "Why, Roderich? I want you so badly. I've wanted you since we met, love. Don't you want me? Or was there another goddamned reason you stayed here for three hours faking 'leaving'?"_

_ Roderich shook his head, "I do want you, Gilbert. You're beautiful. It's just… I brought it up to Ludwig that I wanted his permission to ask you out, but he denied me. I won't go behind your brother's back."_

_ "He's not my master, Roddy. We can do what we like." I pulled down his stiff collar a bit and kissed the pale skin at the base of his neck._

_ Roderich muffled a moan of desire and gently pushed me off him, "Call me a prude if you must, Gilbert, but I cannot go against my friend, no matter how much I want to." I saw he really did want to be more with me, that he had for a while, maybe, and so I smiled up at him._

_ "We'll be together someday, love."_

_ He nodded, smiling back, "I promise, darling." With that, he left, albeit unwillingly, and allowed me time to make peace with this new information. Why didn't Ludwig want me dating the stunning and musically gifted Austrian I'd been blatantly mooning over for nearly a century? He knew better than anyone, even my closest friends, how much I was in love with him, so why was he preventing one of the few things that might really make me happy?_

_ I began to doze in my favorite white armchair, dreaming that Roderich was there and we were simply together, wrapped in each other's arms. Sex wasn't on my mind, unlike usual. I really only wanted him beside me forever._

_ My dream was ruined by that snowy bastard. He and his minions stormed down my door and complained loudly, "It's far too warm here. Let's take Mister Gilbert back to our house, _da_?"_

_ I was, of course, startled awake by that proclamation, but Ivan's sisters were already upon me before I could so much as cry out._

_ It was probably the most not-awesome way of being captured I could think of._

That first week, I was drunk almost constantly. I can barely remember most of it. A lot of the time, I vaguely remember either singing obnoxiously or passing out. After that week, drunkenness lost its appeal. I felt stupid and childish for putting on such a show. Ivan, Toris, and the other must've been having quite the laugh at me. The thought made my blood boil and I set aside everything given to me. I drank only tap water and only ate the bread both out of suspicion of everything else and a ridiculous desire to rebel against something, even if it was only against the food. It was all too kind to do for a prisoner. I was so confused. _Where was Ivan and why was he being so nice?_

It had been a whole week since I went on my bread and water regiment and nothing had changed, apart from my growing skinnier every day. I lay on my bed, too weak from malnourishment to do much else. Not that there was anything to do in the first place. Even Gilbird was listless and bored; having played with everything he possibly could to the point of exhaustion. I sighed, "Gilbird, would you be mad at me if I let myself waste away in here?"

The little bird ruffled his feathers in a 'no', hopping over to me and nuzzling against my cheek. I smiled back, "Thanks, Gilbird. You're the best buddy a guy could have. I just wish we didn't have to die in here. It's so not awesome to go out like this. Where's Ludwig?" Or Roderich for that matter.

Toris entered then, his dark hair messier than usual, his skin unnaturally pale, "Ivan's coming to see you. Get ready."

I slumped back into the bed, closing my red eyes to the uncomfortable light of the hall, "Tell him he's a week too late. I'm too tired."

"I wouldn't suggest that. You don't have much of a choice, Gilbert," He said quietly.

I thought for a moment, "What does he want?"

Toris shook his head, "You'll find out soon enough. He's here."


End file.
